Controlling device for phonographs.



N. H. HOLLAND. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS. APPUCATION FILED FEB. I6, 1914.

1 $9M, 199 Patented Jan. 7', L919.

till

NEWMAN i1. ermann, or WEST onancn, PATENT COMPANY, or .wnsT ORANGE,

JERSEY.

NEW JERSEY, assreuon To NEW JERSEY. new JERSEY, A conronaTion' or new CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Application filed February 16,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, NEWMAN H. HOLLAND, a subject of the King ofjGreat Britain, and a resident of West Orange, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented certain new and use-- ful Improvements in ControllingDevices for Phonographs, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to phonographs, and the main object thereof is to provide an imroved controlling mechanism for starting or stopping the movement of the record-support forming a part of such machines. In carrying out my invention, I prefer to provide starting and stopping mechanism comprising electromagnetic devices constructed and arranged to be operated in such a way that objectionable heating and sparking thereof will be avoided. I attain this result by means. of a construction wherein, when the circuit of the electromagnetic devices is closed to start or stop-the record support, it is allowed to remain closed just long enough to produce the desired effect. It is then antomatically and quickly broken, the How of current is arrested and prolonged heating or continued sparking of the apparatus is prevented. My preferred construction is such that when the controlling mechanism is operated to start the movement of the record support, further operation of said mechanism cannot affect the movement of the record support except to stop the same and vice versa. The controlling mechanism is accordingly very certain and efficient in operation. Other objects of my invention will appear more fully in specification and appended claims. Referring to the drawing in which the samereference characters are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views:

Figure Tie a front view showing the application of the preferred form of my invention to a phonograph; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view takenon the line 3-3 of 1;

"Fig. 4 is an enlarge view partly diagrammatic and partly in elevation of a portion of my improved device; and

Specification of Letters Patent.

whereby the following I the laterally extending Patented an. I, 191%..

1914. Serial No. 818,893.

Fig. 5a perspective view of a detail of construction.

To illustrate the application of my in vention, I shall first set forth a well known type of controlling mechanism for phonographs used for business purposes.

Referring to the drawing, the character a designates a cylindrical sound record or blank carried by a rotatable mandrel. or support 1, and 2 designates an electric motor which drives the same. The support 1 is mounted upon and the motor 2 within a cabinet 3. The mandrel or support 1 is arranged to be rotated by a shaft comprising sections 4 and 4" carried in bearings formed in standards-5 and 5' respectively upon the cabinet 3; and on the section 4 of the shaft is splined a clutch collar 6, this clutch collar being free to slide along the section 4' of the shaft but forced to rotate with it. The shaft of the motor 2 has a driving pulley 7, and this driving pulley turns a driven pulley 8, which is made fast to the shaft section 4 and carries a hub forming a clutch member 9 arranged to cooperate with collar 6. A belt 10 connects the pulleys 7 and b. The clutch collar 6 is moved into and out of engagement with the clutch member 9 by means of a member 11, which is preferably mounted in an upright position-on the top of the cabinet 3 and has its upper end bent away from the observer, viewing the apparatus from the position shown in Fig. '1, and is provided withprojections 12 engaging a circumferential groove 13 in the collar 6. 1 At its lower end below the top of the cabinet 3, the member 11 is provided with an arm 14:, which, viewing the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1, extends toward the observer; and to the forward end of this arm is pivoted one end of a link 15 which is pivoted at its other end to a lug 16 on the top of a T-shaped lever 17. It will be apparent that movement of this lever from side to side will move the clutch members 6 and 9 together or apart as may be desired. The lever 17 is supported by a pivot 18, which may be carried a depending lug 18' on the under side of the top of the cabinet 3, (see Fig. 2.) Pivot 18 may be secured in. position by means of a binding screw 18", as shown. The ends of arms of lever 17 are connected by means of pivoted links 19 to the in a bore formed inp1ungers19' and 19". The construction thus far described will enable an operator to start pressingeither theplunger 19' or the plunger 19 In connection with the controlling mech- .anism described above, I employ the followmg improved controlling mechanism: Secured to the under side of the top of the cabinet 3 directly below the plungers l9. and 19- is ant-shaped bracket 20 which carries a pair of 1nl1n'e with each other.

electromagnets 21, mounted These magnets have cores 22 and an armature 22 which is pivotally connected to the lower end of the lever 17and arranged between the coils and the cores of the electromagnets. One of these magnets is ener ized to shift the armatime 22' and lever 1 to starting position, and the othermagnet is energizedto shift the armature 22 and'lever 17 to stopping position. Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that aconductor 23 leads through a suitable switch 24 to the coil of the magnet 21 at the right; and from this coil the conductor 23 continues to a binding screw 25 (see Fig. 5), mounted ina contact stri 26 which has one end 26 bent downward. This contact strip is insulatively mounted in the upturned free end of the bracket 20, and is arranged for engagement with a contact arm 27, joined to a return conductor 28, the arm 27 being movable into or out of. engagement with strip 26 in a manner that will be presentlyset forth. The portion of conductor 23 in advance of switch 24 is also adapted tobe connected to a. conductor 30 through a 'switch29 similar to theswitch 24. The twoswitches 24 and 29 are held yieldingly in raised positioirby springs 24' and 29 and are preferably of the type. disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 818.894, filed February 16, 1914. and entitled Electric switches. The conductor 30 leads to the coil of the left hand magnet 21, referring to Fig. 4,

and thence to a binding screw31 in a second conducting strip 32 strip 32 either end of its movement. The

which has an upturned end 32" and is insulatively mounted in the bracket 20 adjacent contact 26. The upturned end 32 of the is also arranged for engagement with the arm 27, which is connectedvto the return conductor 28, as above stated, the arm 27 being movable into or out of engagement with strip-32. The conductors 23 and 28 may be connected to any suitable source of current supply. Upon the bracket 20 between the magnets is a stud 33 to which the armature 22' is pivotally connected. This armature oscillates back and forth between the adjacent ends of the cores 22, which are beveled so that the armature can lie fiat against the same when the armature is at armature -The motor 2 may,

'ductors 23 and 30 to the coil memes is provided with an upwardly extending arm 34: t the rear thereof and out of line with the cores 22, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and to this arm is rigidly fastened a rigid plate 35. The contact arm or strip 27 is mounted upon the plate 35, the said arm or strip being electrically separated from the plate 35 by means of insulation 36. A suitable block of insulation 37 may be placed in a. recess in the free end of the bracket 20 to support the contact strips 26 and 32, this construction being fully shown in Fig. 5. The plate 35 is provided with an elongated slot 38, and this slot receives the end of a screw 39 mounted in the lower end of the lever 17- and projecting through the same. The construction is, therefore, such that when the magnets are energized to move the armature, the lever 17 will be swung accordingly to throw the clutch members 6 and 9 together or apart. of course, operate continurecord or blank a will run according to the position of the ously so that the or stand still clutch members.

e operation of the form of my invention herein disclosed is as t'ollows B v pressing upon the switch 29 to close the same, currentis permitted to fiow through the con of the left hand magnet 21, referring to Fig. 4, and from said coil to the binding screw 31, flowing thence through the strip 32 having the upturned end 32 to the contact arm 27 and thence back to the source by way of the return conductor 28. The left hand magnet being thus energized, the armature 22 is drawn toward the left, swinging the lower end of the lever 17 in the same direction and operating the link 15 to move the clutch members 9 and (3 together and to start the rotation of the record or blank (1, the motor 2 being understood. to have been previously set, into operation. At the same time the movement of the armature throws the contact arni 27 away from then turned end 32 of the contact strip 32, an to the left and downward into engagement with the downturncd end 26 the contact strip 26, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4:. This mode of operation not only breaks the circuit of the magnet 21 at the left but it also puts the parts into position required for the energizing of the magnet 21 at the right. referring to Fig. irso that when the switch 24 is depressed. the machine now having been started. it'can be stopped at any moment if necessary. The stopping is accomplished by pressing upon the switch 24;; whereupon current will pass through the coil of the right hand magnet referring to Fig. 4:, the binding screw 25, the contact; stripassociated therewith, arm 27, and the return conductor 28. The armature 22" will now swing to the right moving the lever 17 with it and forcing the link 15 to throw the clutch members 9 and 6 apart. At the same me ian at time, the arm 27 moves away from the end 26' of the contact strip 26 and nto enga e vinnent with the end 32 ofstrip 32; where y the machine can be started again as soon. as

irecessar lln order to make sure that the armature 22' and arm 27 will travel far enough in either direction to break one circuit and put the other in condition to be made upon the closing of the switch 24 M29 and at the same time move quickly enough to prevent objec' tionable sparking, I secure'to the bracket 20 a spring strip 40 having a beveled block 41 at its upper end. Thls beveled block 41 slides past a conical projection 42 on arm 84 (see Figs. 2 and 3) which projection may be in the form of a pin having a conical head. When the armature moves from one side to the other, the head 42 engages the block 41 and forces the spring outward, but as soon as the armature reaches middle position, the force stored up in the spring 41 will become efi'ective to move the armature by wedging action rapidly from its middle position toward its extreme position in engagement .with the beveled end of one of the cores 22. I show the block 41 in plan in Fig. 3 with the armature 22 over to the right. The right face of this block will engage the head 42 at the left, and the armature will remain in this position until the magnet 21 at the left is energized. "When this happens, so as to pull over the armature 22, the head 42 forces the block 41 and upper end of the spring 40 outward until the armature is at the middle point of its movement. As soon as this happens, the return of the spring 40 will both accelerate the armature and make it complete its-throw and place the arm 2'? in engagement with the end 26 of contact strip 26. From Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that the arm 27 has an outwardly bowed portion 43 engaging the upturned part 32 when the armature is over to the right, and the downturned part 26 when over to the left. The parts 32 and 26 and the portion 43 of arm 27 are so arranged that when the armature in moving to the left reaches mid-position, the portion 43 of arm 27 has just left the part 32' and is about to touch the part 26. The left hand magnet is therefore losing its force shortly before the armature reaches mid-position. Under su' h conditions, the arn'iature would not ordinarily complete its journey quickly enough to break the circuit through the left hand magnet in the manner required to avoid drawing a spark at the contact'32, and it might even leave the circuit through the magnet closed to a certain extent with consequent heating up of the coil thereof. The provision of the spring 40, however, insures the proper movement of the armature. As soon as the armature reaches a, point Which is the least bit beyond mid-position, the

spring g1vesan extra impulse .to it, and snaps the arm 27 away from the end 32' of contact 32 and into engagement with the end 26' of contact 26. The breaking of the circuit through the left hand magnet 21, and the putting of the circuit of the other magnet into condition to be completed when theswitch 24 is depressed, is therefore quickly effected. By reason of the quick breaking of the circuit through the left hand electromagnet upon the movement of the arm 27 to the left, the circuit through the manually operable switch 29 remains closed only a very short time, so that prolonged sparking at said switch cannot take place under any conditions of operation thereof. Likewise,

excessive sparking at the manually operable switch 24 is prevented by the breaking of the circuit through the right hand electromag net, referring to Fig. 4, upon the movement of arm 27 to the right. An incidental feature of the operation of the spring 40 is to hold the armature either to the right or left till one ofthe magnets is energized. The spring therefore acts as a catch to prevent movement of the armature and lever 17, or any of the parts associated therewith by jarring or shaking, as when the cabinet 3 is moved about or jarred.

The arm 27 in Figs. 1, 3 and4 is shown as secured to the side of the plate 35. I may also, as shown in Fig. 2 at 27 secure the contact arm to the top of the armature arm, separating the same from the armature arm by insulation 36, and providing the arm 27 with a Contact portion 43 for the same purpose as the contact portion 43 in the other views'. 1

When the buttons or plunger-s 19' and 19 are used the movement of the lever l7'throws the armature from side to side but does not in any wvay interfere with the use of the controlling devices which include the ma nets 21. This is because so long as the switches 24 and 29 are open the magnets '21 will be inert and the operator can changeover from the buttons 19 and 19" to the switches 24 and 29 at will. He may start by depressing the plunger 19, and then if he wishes to stop it will only be necessary to press the switrh 24; or he may stop .with the button 19" and start with the switch 29. My controlling mechanism may thus be readily put in place on a phonograph already provided with starting and stopping push buttons 19 and 19", and used as an adjunct thereto. By making the conductors leading to the switches 24 and 29 flexible like telephone cords, the person transcribing the record can put these switches on a desk or table right beside the keyboard of the typewriting machine or in any other convenient position.

The above description is, of course, illustrative only, setting forth but one embodiment of my invention. I am not limited to the exact details herein shown, as many changes may be made therein ,without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a phonograph, the combination of a movable member, a pair of magnets, an oscillatory armature mounted between the magnets, mechanism connected to the armature for controlling the movement of said member to effect the starting and stopping thereof, means for energizing each of said magnets to move the armature, additional means for moving the armature when attracted by either of said magnets, and a pair of manually actuatable devices operable independently of said magnets for controlling said mechanism to effect the starting and stopping of said movable member, substantially as described.

2. Ina phonograph, the combination of a movable member, means for moving the same, a lever and connections between the same and the moving means for controlling the latter, an armature having a pin and slot connection with said lever, an electromagnet on each side of said armature, and means for energizing either of said magnets to attract said armature, substantially as described.

3. In a phonograph, the combination of a movable member, a pair of magnets, an oscillatory armature mounted between the magnets, mechanism connected to said armature and movable in opposite-directions for controlling the movement her to effect the starting and stopping thereof, means for energizing each of said magnets to move the armature, a pair of manually actuatable devices operable independently of said magnets for actuating said mechanism to effect the starting and stopping of said movable member, and means for holding said mechanism at the end of its movement in either substantially as described.

4. In a phonograph, the combination of a movable member, a pair of magnets, an oscillatory armature mounted between the magnets, mechanism connected to said ber its movement in either of said memdirection,

armature and movable in opposite directions for controlling the movement of said memto effect the starting and stoppin thereof, means for energizing each of said magnets to move the armature, a pair of manually actuatable devices operable independently of said magnets for actuating said. mechanism to effect the starting and stopping of said movable member, and means for causing said mechanism when the same is moved in either direction, either by means of said armature or by one of said devices, to quickly complete its movement in such direction, substantially as described.

5. In a phonograph, the combination of a movable member, a pair of magnets, an oscillatory member controlled by said magnets, mechanism connected to said oscillatory member and movable in opposite directions for effecting the starting and stopping of said movable member, means for energizing each of said magnets to effect the movement of the oscillatory member, manually actuatable means operable independently of said magnets for actuating said mechanism to effect the starting and stopping of said movable member, and means for holding said mechanism at the end of direction, substantially as described.

6. In a phonograph, the combination of movable means, electro-magnetic means, a movable member controlled by said electromagnetic means, mechanism connected to said movable member and movable in opposite directions for efiecting the starting and stopping of said movable means, means for energizing said electro-magnetic means to efi'ect movement of the movable member, manually actuatable means operable independently of said elcctro-magnetic means for actuating said mechanism to effect the starting and stopping of said movable means, and means for holding said mechanism at the end of its movement in either direction, substantially as described.

his specification signed and witnessed this 13th day off-February, 1914.

NEWMAN H. HOLLAND. Witnesses:

FREDERICK BACHMANN, MARY J. LAIDLAW. 

